I Am The One Who Blogs: TRB Turns Five

I’m actually not exactly sure which day in November of 2008 was my exact first day ( think it’s the tenth) and I forgot what my first post was about. I’ve written more than 8,000 posts here since then, I can’t say I remember each of them but my hope is that I at least remember the kernel of truth or the realization that each of them have been built around.

Because that’s what this is all about, after all.

Each year on TRB’s blogiversary, I do a bit of an internal inventory, taking stock of what’s changed over the prior year. This has been a pretty momentous one for me.

In 2013, I became a full-time cast member of both Fast Money and the Halftime Report on CNBC, arguably the two most interesting and dynamic shows in all of financial TV, warts and all. Each day, I get to interview the world’s greatest market minds as they pass through – El-Erian, Gundlach, Arnott, Gabelli, Wein, Roach, Acampora, Icahn, Bogle, Birinyi, Yamada, the list is endless – almost every day another multi-billion dollar asset manager or strategist whose brain I can pick. It’s an amazing experience, I’m seeing the markets through a lens that I could never have imagined years ago.

I’ve surpassed 60,000 followers on Twitter and have seen millions of unique users come through the blog over the last year. I’ve been named to all kinds of awesome lists:

There are more, I’m never not blown away and grateful, especially when I respect so many of the other people on these lists. I really appreciate the members of the media and the press who continue to reference my stuff and link to the site. It means a lot to me personally.

The blog gets me access to stuff that I would never be able to do and see on my own. I get invites all kinds of events and conferences throughout the course of the year – Ira Sohn, Value Investors Congress, Skybridge, Delivering Alpha, Tiburon CEO Summit, Bloomberg Markets 50 Summit, etc. I can’t go to everything, but I hope that when I do attend I’m making the most of it and using my site to relay whatever insights and commentary I can.

Barry and I also launched our own firm this past year, turning our financial advisory and asset management practice into its own RIA. The preparation and hard work that went into this cannot be overstated, we killed ourselves to get every detail right from the outset – to make sure there would be minimal disruption to the clients. It worked, thank God. Everything has gone better than we could have hoped for. We owe a lot of people

Speaking of the clients – every single one that we asked to come with us came with us. I would do anything for my clients, they have my unquestioned loyalty and attention for the rest of their lives. I am fortunate in being able to choose whom I work for, we have the best clients on earth.

I hired two incredible guys to help us build and run the firm. They are truly are one-of-a-kind; if my director of research Michael and my head of financial planning Kris didn’t exist, Barry and I would have had to invent them. Barring that, there certainly wouldn’t be any Ritholtz Wealth Management. Both of them were big fans of The Reformed Broker before we had ever met, they totally get what I’m doing in addition to being rock stars in their respective areas of expertise. They make most of what you see possible.

And you guys – I’ve gotten a few hundred emails and letters and even gifts in the mail and most of the time I still can’t believe it (ask my friends and family, they’ll tell you!) Your continued patronage of this blog means the world to me. Your daily reading and reacting is the defining element of my career, everything stems from it and nothing would have happened for me without it.

I’m still humbled by the attention my work gets, eternally grateful that so many successful, smart and thoughtful people carve out a few minutes each day to see what I have to say. I give you my word that I’ll never take it for granted. There are more of you checking out the site these days than ever, from all levels of sophistication, and I’m very aware of the responsibility that comes along with that.

George Bernard Shaw said that “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” I think I’m doing that, I know I’m certainly trying. I’m striving to create a smarter, stronger, more informed and worldly financial advisor here at The Reformed Broker each day.

I want to thank all of you who have helped me do that these last five years.

Keep coming back and I promise I’ll keep trying to kick some ass for you.